Who is the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden?

Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations. From the moment he decided to disclose numerous top-secret documents to the public, he was determined not to opt for the protection of anonymity. “I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong,” he said.

Did Edward Snowden give his documents to the media?

In October 2013, Snowden said that before flying to Moscow, he gave all the classified documents he had obtained to journalists he met in Hong Kong, and kept no copies for himself. In January 2014, he told a German TV interviewer that he gave all of his information to American journalists reporting on American issues.

Was Edward Snowden a genius among geniuses?

A former NSA co-worker said that although the NSA was full of smart people, Snowden was a “genius among geniuses” who created a widely implemented backup system for the NSA and often pointed out security flaws to the agency.

How did Edward Snowden get a job at the CIA?

After attending a 2006 job-fair focused on intelligence agencies, Snowden accepted an offer for a position at the CIA. The Agency assigned him to the global communications division at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Is Edward Snowden protected by the law?

But the fact that the leaks served the public interest by exposing government illegality and abuse doesn’t mean Snowden is protected by the law, because the intelligence community has always been exempted from the Whistleblower Protection Act.

Why does Edward Snowden wear a hood over his head?

He puts a large red hood over his head and laptop when entering his passwords to prevent any hidden cameras from detecting them. Though that may sound like paranoia to some, Snowden has good reason for such fears. He worked in the US intelligence world for almost a decade.

Do whistleblowers deserve legal protection?

The people we trust to protect our nation from foreign enemies deserve legal protection when they blow the whistle on wrongdoing within government. Michael German is senior policy counsel at the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office and a former FBI agent.